WHO Launches Updated Health Inequality Data and Equity Toolkit

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released updated versions of two key resources as part of the Health Inequality Monitor to enhance data accessibility and usability for health equity.

The WHO Health Inequality Data Repository (HIDR), recognized as the largest public repository of health inequality data, has been updated to include the latest available data from publicly accessible sources, now encompassing over 13 million data points across more than 2,400 health indicators and 22 dimensions of inequality.

The newly released Version 7 of the Health Equity Assessment Toolkit (HEAT and HEAT Plus) software features improved functionalities for analyzing and reporting health inequalities. HEAT (Version 7) is now preloaded with the 2025 HIDR data update.

Access to high-quality disaggregated health data facilitates the monitoring of inequalities across a variety of health topics and population groups. The Health Inequality Data Repository (HIDR) now includes 62 datasets, featuring updated data from sources such as the WHO, the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) Programme, Eurostat, Global Data Lab, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Global Database, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNICEF, and the World Bank.

The HIDR provides health and health-related data organized by various dimensions, including age, disability status, economic status, education, employment status, migration status, place of residence, sex, and subnational region.

The HEAT and HEAT Plus software applications allow users to explore inequality data through interactive graphs, maps, and tables. Version 7 introduces a 'Determinants' component that allows users to create scatterplots demonstrating associations between health indicators and determinants of health across selected countries. These relationships can be explored across six domains of health determinants defined in the WHO Operational Framework for Monitoring Social Determinants of Health Equity: economic security and equality; education; physical environment; social and community context; health behaviors; and health care.

"Providing easy access to the latest global inequality data through the Repository, and maintaining tools like HEAT to promote the use of these data, are important components of our work on health inequality monitoring," said Ahmad Reza Hosseinpoor, Team Lead for Health Inequality Monitoring at WHO. "Together, the Health Inequality Data Repository and HEAT enable countries to better understand where inequalities exist and determine how they can be sustainably addressed."

Health inequality monitoring provides evidence on populations left behind and informs health policies, programs, and practices aimed at bridging existing gaps and achieving health equity. Health equity is a fundamental principle outlined in the WHO General Programme of Work (GPW 14).

The Health Inequality Data Repository and Health Equity Assessment Toolkit are available on the WHO Health Inequality Monitor page: https://www.who.int/data/inequality-monitor

Launched in 2023, the Health Inequality Data Repository represents the largest collection of publicly available disaggregated data regarding health and its determinants, updated annually. Each dataset in the repository is accompanied by detailed metadata explaining the original data source. Some datasets originate from external published sources and do not represent official WHO statistics.

The HEAT and HEAT Plus software applications were developed by the WHO to enhance the interpretation and utilization of inequality data. HEAT includes integrated data from the Health Inequalities Data Repository (HIDR), while HEAT Plus allows users to upload their own datasets. HEAT was introduced in 2016, followed by HEAT Plus in 2017.

The World Health Organization (WHO) engages extensively in monitoring health inequalities to promote equitable health outcomes across various populations. This focus is essential for understanding disparities in health services, access, and outcomes among different demographic groups, influenced by factors such as socioeconomic status, geography, and ethnicity. In 2022, WHO launched the Inequality Monitoring and Analysis Strategy for the period of 2022-2027, highlighting the necessity for rigorous data collection and analysis to inform policies aimed at reducing health inequalities. This strategy is designed to bolster the capacity of countries to evaluate and address health inequalities by providing effective monitoring tools and support. The strategy encompasses key objectives, including the development of standardized indicators to measure health inequalities, fostering collaboration between countries, and ensuring that health inequality data is disaggregated to reveal disparities among vulnerable populations. By conducting systematic analyses, WHO aims to identify the underlying causes of these inequalities and promote evidence-based interventions. Through its initiatives, WHO aims to ensure that health equity is incorporated into national health policies, ultimately enhancing health outcomes for all individuals, particularly those in marginalized and underserved communities. Ongoing monitoring and analysis of health inequalities are crucial for tracking progress and maintaining accountability among stakeholders in the quest for health equity.

For further information, please contact: inequality_monitoring@who.int